Dogs and Mud Puddles

Does your dog look for puddles to play in?

Since she was a pup my son's Golden Retriever, Ginger, is always looking for a puddle. If it is muddy, she is delighted



Watch a REALLY MUD LOVING DOG

Would you let this dog in your house?!?

Canine Heros

A kind and gentle seeing-eye dog guiding his blind caretaker across the street, the intense focus of a K9 police unit sniffing out a bomb, a search dog barking to let us know that she has found a missing child - these are the images that come to mind when you think of canine heroes. They use their animal "super powers" of smell, sight, and boundless loyalty to better our lives.

But these working dogs are not the only heroes in the canine community. We live with them every day. Our dogs strengthen our families, bring us back in touch with Mother Nature, and remind us to live every day to the fullest. They change our lives.

These tough times give us cause to appreciate our canine companions even more. Dogs don't follow unstable pack leaders. Instead, they let us know when we have lost our way. We can get so caught up in the concerns over our material wealth that we overlook the real wealth we have. Take a moment to appreciate the riches that your family and friends bring you, and let your dog know you recognize his heroic capacity for love.

Dog Walking Dog

Today, my son and I took our dogs to Tracy Owen Station Park in Kenmore, Washington.

It was one of those Washington days; fabulous clouds, sun breaks, and some rain.

My son's Golden Retrievers out for a walk.....


Brinkley walks Ginger

Airline Just For Pets

An idea coming of age!

Did you know there is an airline strictly for pets?

Rated: 4 Paws

Pet Airways

Talent

Have you seen Kate and Gin on Britain's Got Talent?

They are quite the team and very talented.

Take a few minutes to watch Kate and Gin perform.

Teaching Older Dogs

The old saying that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is NOT true.

Old dogs may not learn as quickly as they once did, but with time and patience most older dogs can be taught to do just about anything that a young dog can do.

If you would like to teach your older dog some new tricks, here are some tips:

1. Teach one word commands. Teaching the correct response to voice cues or hand signals is as fundamental to communicating with a dog as the alphabet is to human language.

2. Be consistent. Consistency is the key to learning.

3. Provide rewards. Reward your dog's good behavior with a treat and tons of praise.

4. If the dog is slightly deaf, speak louder.

To put it all together, this is what you do:

Add a word cue or sign that must preface the behavior if it is to be rewarded. This is called a conditional stimulus; and it must be present if a reward for performing the behavior is forthcoming. The word cue or other cue should be delivered once, and once only. Whatever you do don't repeat the command. If the dog obeys, he must be rewarded immediately. If he does not, there is no reward. The opposite of reward is not punishment it is simply the lack of reward.

Using the above method, any behavior can be trained although more complicated behaviors have to be trained in stages ("shaped").

Reward your dog for performing a desired behavior when that behavior occurs naturally. For example, give your dog a food treat for sitting, lying down or to stop barking. Initially, the reward should be selected to be practically irresistible, not just kibble or a piece of dry dog biscuit. The frequency with which your dog will perform the behavior will increase if the reward is more appreciated.

World Oldest Dog

A wire-haired dachshund that held the record as the world's oldest dog and celebrated its last birthday with a party at a dog hotel and spa has died at age 21 — or 147 in dog years.

The dog, named Chanel, died Friday of natural causes at her owners' home in suburban Port Jefferson Station, on Long Island.

Chanel, as stylish as her legendary namesake, wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because she was sensitive to the cold, owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy said Monday.

The playful dachshund was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy, then serving with the U.S. Army, adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va.

Along with her owner, Chanel spent nine years on assignment in Germany, where she became adept at stealing sticks of butter from kitchen counter tops and hiding them in sofa cushions in the living room, Shaughnessy said. She also liked chocolate, usually considered toxic to dogs, Shaughnessy said.

"She once ate an entire bag of Reese's peanut butter cups, and, you see, she lived to be 21, so go figure," Shaughnessy added.

Karl Shaughnessy nominated Chanel for the title of world's oldest dog after noticing the Guinness World Records book had no record.

Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world's oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May.

Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.

Chanel exercised daily and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food, but good care wasn't entirely responsible for her long life, said her owners, who attributed God.

"Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice Shaughnessy said.

When asked the secret to her dog's long life, Denice said she was shocked he's still with her.

"I have five kids, and all my kids are grown and gone," she said. "Now my grand kids are playing with this dog."